Hello DOSEMU and FreeDOS gurus, I'm some time dealing with the idea of writing a program, which should simplify porting DOS programs which are using some windows supplements to run on Linux under DOSEMU/FreeDOS. DOS programs, which are still maintained, are mostly supposed to be run under windows and their authors often complement them with windows programs, which did some in DOS problematic tasks (e.g. print to windows printer, sent e-mail, find free disk space, download something from internet etc.), and there usually is no support for running these programs under Dosemu+ DOS. On other hand, many of these supplemental tasks should be simple solve under Linux too (e.g. print to Linux printer via pcl->ghostscript filter, send mail via mailx/TB, obtain disk space with shell+df script, download something with wget etc.). One such program I'm using and I wonder how to do it, to I can also use these additional features. My idea is that:
1) small DOS program functioning as OS switcher, which I copied as many times as there are windows programs, under their names. This switcher will be executed by DOS program instead of the original windows program - supplement. 2) this switcher program will be driven by simple text configuration file, one line will represent one windows program, and each line will have three columns: - program name under which will be this 'switcher' run. - path to corresponding windows supplement program. - path to corresponding Linux supplement program/script. When this path will begin with drive letter, then it will be started as DOS program, otherwise as Linux program/script. 3) this small switcher finds out what name is running, accordingly looks in the configuration file, and on the basis of whether it run under DOSEMU or not select proper column - program which should be started - and run it. Eventual parameters will be simply reused from those which switcher receive. This arrangement (when original DOS program + this switcher will be on same filesystem, which can be accessed from both Linux and windows) should allow same functionality when user will work either on Linux or windows. And what I would like like to ask a experts there in lists - this concept is correct and feasible? - In what language should the switch should be programmed? Will be appropriate to use C and Watcom C for DOS compiler? - This switcher should be perhaps as small as possible? But maybe no - whether it will start Linux or windows program, there will not be DOS 640 kB memory limitations? I'm not programmer and it will be tedious job for me, thus I'm asking there, to avoid to do something stupid. Maybe, could someone point to some dos C programming examples? Also, know someone give some example how detect when program is run under DOSEMU or not? Dosemu has isemu.S/detect.h program for it, but it is written in assembler and I can't make head or tail of it :( And I do not understand how the 6+kB resources created 421 B binary, this is some weird magic. Thanks for Your recommendations, excuse my English. Franta Hanzlik ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Start Your Social Network Today - Download eXo Platform Build your Enterprise Intranet with eXo Platform Software Java Based Open Source Intranet - Social, Extensible, Cloud Ready Get Started Now And Turn Your Intranet Into A Collaboration Platform http://p.sf.net/sfu/ExoPlatform _______________________________________________ Freedos-user mailing list Freedos-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
